In general, construction equipment, such as excavators, is exposed to large workloads and large vibration loads due to the working characteristics thereof. Thus, working loads generated by a working unit or an engine during operations of construction equipment are commonly transferred to the entirety of construction equipment, so that components of construction equipment are subjected to large loads. In addition, the components of construction equipment subjected to excessive vibration loads are at great risk of fracture due to fatigue caused by vibration loads accumulated during operations, and in effect, are frequently fractured. Accordingly, ensuring high resistance to vibration loads first must be considered when designing the components of construction machines.
Among such components of construction equipment, a guardrail is a structure directly providing safety to an operator of, or a mechanic working on, construction equipment. For example, when refueling or maintenance is performed during operation of construction equipment, the guardrail provides safety to the operator or mechanic. In general, the guardrail is disposed to be higher than a variety of other structures of construction equipment to realize safety and is formed of a single frame fixed to construction equipment to endure vibration loads.
Large construction machines, such as excavators, are generally shipped and carried on freighters to be transported abroad. Here, such freighters commonly have height limitations for the purpose of maximum shipment capacity. However, the guardrails of the related art, disposed on construction machines, are significantly high and thus cannot satisfy such height limitations. This consequently reduces the number of individual construction machines that can be shipped simultaneously, thereby significantly increasing transportation costs. Accordingly, the heights of guardrails have a significant effect on the number of construction machines that can be shipped simultaneously.
In the related art, when construction equipment is to be shipped, an additional operation of detaching guardrails from construction equipment has been performed to satisfy such height limitations. In this case, however, the problem of additional costs occurs. In addition, after transportation, detached guardrails must be reattached to construction equipment. Accordingly, in the related art, there have been significant difficulties and inconveniences in the transportation of construction equipment using freighters.